Perspectives on Safety
Our Perspectives on Safety section features expert viewpoints on current themes in patient safety, including interviews and written essays published monthly. Annual Perspectives highlight vital and emerging patient safety topics.
Narrow Results Clear All
Approach to Improving Safety
- Communication Improvement 12
- Culture of Safety 3
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Education and Training
9
- Students 1
- Error Reporting and Analysis 12
- Human Factors Engineering 7
- Legal and Policy Approaches 14
- Logistical Approaches 6
- Quality Improvement Strategies 25
- Specialization of Care 2
- Teamwork 2
- Technologic Approaches 11
Safety Target
Interview
In Conversation With… Maureen Bisognano
Organizations Working to Improve Quality and Safety, June 2015
Maureen Bisognano is President and CEO of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI). We spoke with her about IHI's efforts to improve health care on a global level.
Interview
In Conversation With… Christine Cassel, MD
Organizations Working to Improve Quality and Safety, June 2015
Dr. Cassel, President and CEO of the National Quality Forum (NQF), is a leading expert in geriatric medicine, medical ethics, and quality of care. We spoke with her about NQF's work in developing and utilizing quality measures to improve safety in health care.
Perspective
Video to Improve Patient Safety: Clinical and Educational Uses
with commentary by Yan Xiao, PhD; Colin F. Mackenzie, MB, ChB; and F. Jacob Seagull, PhD, Using Video to Assess Quality and Safety, May 2015
This piece explores the advantages of using video in clinical practice and health care education to augment safety and quality.
Annual Perspective
Handoffs and Transitions
with commentary by Niraj Sehgal, MD, MPH, Handoffs and Patient Safety, 2014
Interview
In Conversation With… Brian Jarman, PhD
Risk-Adjusted Mortality as a Safety/Quality Measure, March 2015
Sir Brian Jarman designed the methodology for hospital standardized mortality ratios, a widely used method of measuring quality and safety, and was involved with the Bristol Royal Infirmary Inquiry. We spoke with him about the development of the HSMR and their role in monitoring performance.
Perspective
Where Does Risk-Adjusted Mortality Fit Into a Safety Measurement Program?
with commentary by Ian Scott, MBBS, MHA, MEd, Risk-Adjusted Mortality as a Safety/Quality Measure, March 2015
This piece discusses risk-adjusted hospital mortality rates as a measure of hospital safety, including why they've become popular, major flaws such as low sensitivity, and alternative ways to use them.
Interview
In Conversation With… Mark Graban, MS, MBA
Lean and Patient Safety, January 2015
Mr. Graban is an internationally recognized expert in Lean Healthcare. We spoke with him about applying Lean in hospitals to improve safety and decrease waste.
Perspective
Innovation and Lean Thinking: Mutually Supportive Partners in the Transformation of Health Care
with commentary by Paul E. Plsek, MS, Lean and Patient Safety, January 2015
This book excerpt describes how integrating innovation and Lean concepts at Virginia Mason enhances clinical performance and the patient experience.
Interview
In Conversation With… Dave deBronkart
Patient Advocacy, June 2014
Dave deBronkart, known as e-Patient Dave, is a co-founder and co-chair of the Society for Participatory Medicine and coauthor of Let Patients Help: A Patient Engagement Handbook. We spoke with him about engaging patients in their care and allowing patients to access their medical records.
Interview
In Conversation With… Didier Pittet, MD, MS
Hand Hygiene, May 2014
Dr. Pittet is Director of the Infection Control Programme and WHO Collaborating Centre on Patient Safety at the University of Geneva Hospitals, Switzerland. We spoke with him about hand hygiene in health care, including how to implement culture change and improve safety.
Perspective
Innovations in Promoting Hand Hygiene Compliance
with commentary by Alexandre R. Marra, MD and Michael B. Edmond, MD, MPH, MPA , Hand Hygiene, May 2014
This piece describes barriers to hand hygiene compliance in health care along with strategies to enhance and measure it.
Interview
In Conversation With… Tejal K. Gandhi, MD, MPH
National Organizations in Safety, April 2014
Dr. Gandhi is President of the National Patient Safety Foundation and Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. We spoke with her about NPSF's evolving role in enhancing health care at a national level.
Interview
In Conversation With… Leah Binder, MA, MGA
National Organizations in Safety, April 2014
Leah Binder is President and CEO of the Leapfrog Group. We spoke with her about Leapfrog's efforts to address key health policy issues and the development of the Hospital Safety Score.
Interview
In Conversation With… Alison Holmes, MD, MPH
Infection Prevention and Patient Safety, March 2014
Dr. Holmes is Director of Infection Prevention and Control and a professor at Imperial College London. We spoke with her about infection prevention and patient safety.
Perspective
How Does Infection Prevention Fit Into a Safety Program?
with commentary by Susan S. Huang, MD, MPH, Infection Prevention and Patient Safety, March 2014
This piece describes the history around efforts to address preventable health care–associated infections, including federal initiatives and further research avenues to consider.
Interview
In Conversation With… Enrico Coiera, MB, BS, PhD
Interruptions and Distractions in Health Care, February 2014
Dr. Coiera, a professor at the University of New South Wales, has extensively researched and written about clinical communication processes and information systems. We spoke with him about how interruptions and distractions in the clinical environment influence patient safety.
Perspective
Interruptions and Distractions in Health Care: Improved Safety With Mindfulness
with commentary by Suzanne Beyea, RN, PhD, Interruptions and Distractions in Health Care, February 2014
This piece describes the research around the effect of interruptions and distractions on health care safety and advocates for promoting and teaching mindfulness to address risks.
Interview
In Conversation With… Sidney Dekker, MA, MSc, PhD
Update on Just Culture, September 2013
Professor Sidney Dekker has done revolutionary work on human error and safety and written several bestselling books on system failure and just culture.
Interview
In Conversation With… J. Bryan Sexton, PhD, MA
Update on Safety Culture, July-August 2013
J. Bryan Sexton, PhD, is director of the Patient Safety Center for the Duke University Health System and an international expert in safety culture and clinician burnout.
Interview
In Conversation With… Ashish K. Jha, MD, MPH
Pay-for-Performance: Implications for Patient Safety, May 2013
Harvard internist Dr. Jha is a national leader in policy issues related to safety and quality.